Anastasia's Point of View
by Lunaceress
Summary: Anastasia has always been known as the evil step sister, but this just isn't true. She is the true hero of the beloved Fairy tale not Cinderella, and this is her story.
1. Childhood Memories

**Anastasia's Point of View**

**A/N:** _She Lives! Lol. Been a while, and yes there is only one chapter. Sorry if you no longer want to reread this story, it's just that I was reading over my original and got so many more ideas, plus the first few chapters of this story really and I mean really sucked, I had originally thought of making this story a comedy of about three chapters, but people really seemed to enjoy it, so I wanted to make it a little more serious in terms of writing. So I am rewriting, although the plot will stay the same, some of the characters will change, for example the seer from a later chapter will have a larger role as well as being a different person. Again I'm sorry if this irritates you, especially those who have stuck with me from start to mid story, it's just that after the last chapter I couldn't see this story going anywhere and wanted to give up, but a few months ago I just got a new idea and have decided to change the story. So enough with my rambling and apologies. Here is the new and improved chapter one._

**Chapter 1**

Many stories begin with once upon a time, mine began when I was very young. It was well past midnight as my mother, sister and I sat in front of the fireplace waiting for my father to return from his journey. He never walked through the door. The next morning we received word that, he had been riding through the woods alone when a pack of wolves must have attacked, scaring his horse causing him to fall, another victim to the vicious appetites of the beasts. Drusilla, my sister sobbed and whimpered for weeks, and mother was hysterical and confined herself to her room. She never eat, I'm quite sure she never slept and soon all we ever heard through the door were soft muffled whimpers. Mother had always been a gorgeous woman, she had bright blue eyes, auburn hair, which I had inherited, and soft delicate features. But the woman that finally emerged from that room a year after father's death most certainly was not my mother. Her eyes were glazed over and cold, her hair was limp and very thin, and she had an overall depressed air to her. She was a complete stranger to me.

When I found out father had died there had been no reaction, perhaps I was in shock or something inside told me he wasn't dead. They had only found his horse, torn to shreds, the poor thing. They had not found the body of my father. I suppose I was the strong one in the family, Dru had often visited me in the night so I could chase away the visions of father she often had.

"I saw him! But he wasn't dead. He was alive and kept telling me to come find him." She sobbed, and I would always tell her it was just a dream. But, I had been having the exact same dreams. Father had often come in my dreams to reassure me that everything would work out fine and that I would find him. I remember one time telling him that the dreams were disturbing Dru. He smiled his bright green eyes, that same as mine, carried a sorrowful gleam.

"She wants to forget the pain... But I cannot return just yet. It is not time" He sighed as I woke up.

Dru never had the dreams of father again, and soon forgot what he was like. My dreams of him had stopped as well. I suppose it was father's way of saying his final goodbye, though I still believed him to be alive. I would never forget.

Father was a strong man, he was tall and had warm green eyes. His hair was a deep brown, that was always astray, and when he laughed it seemed the entire room would light up. He and mother had been deeply in love, any idiot could tell, even now she continued to have conversations with what she believed to be his ghost, and fell into a deeper depression, avoiding everyone even my sister and I. This made it impossible to believe when 'he' began to court her.

He was a Lord something or other, I absolutely loathed him. He would come to the manor almost everyday with his daughter Ella, who seemed a simpleton, yet was pleasant company. He had disgusting yellow teeth and smelled like an unkempt stable. I suspected that he was close to bankruptcy, and wanted to marry my mother to become rich again. There was not much I could do, and they were married within a year of their meeting.

But marriage did not last long, for a few months later he vanished along with one of the more attractive housekeepers, and a large amount of mother's money. He did however leave us with his beautiful yet unrefined daughter. Ella, or Cinderella as we dubbed her - because she was almost always playing in the mud and covered in ashes and grime - was quite a hassle to care for becoming quite a burden on mother's savings. She required almost three times the clothing of my sister and I combined because she always found a way to ruin her wardrobe, ate quite sloppily wasting food, and never wanted to help with the daily chores complaining that by us making her do a few simple chores we were being cruel and wicked.

Time went by and we all grew older, her daintily features much better made than my own, though I was not ugly. She had lovely, long, blonde hair, and bright blue eyes. Her delicate figure had changed from the stocky build of her younger years, but still kept its curves. I was not as lucky yet not unfortunate either. My middle length auburn hair contrasted with my pale green eyes, making them quite striking, and my build though not delicate and lovely was somewhat slender with not as many curves as I would prefer. I do admit that I had grown envious of my step-sister, though I tried hard to hide that fact. This was our life until we had grown to the age of sixteen and entered into a world of balls, beautiful dresses, and handsome suitors. This was the time I met the Prince of our country in person for the first time.

**A/N:** _Again really sorry for rewriting this after 15 chapters, but I think in the long run this will end up being a much better read._


	2. A Prince's Invitation

**Anastasia' Point of View**

**A/N: **_I'm trying to retype all my editing as fast as I can so if you are still reading then please bear with me. _

**Chapter 2**

I was in the village completing yet another one of Ella's neglected chores, and just rounding the corner onto the main street when a carriage rushed past, splashing me with mud and causing the groceries I was carrying to fall. I was too busy trying to salvage what was left of the damaged food that I had not noticed that the carriage had halted and it's occupant had stepped out.  
  
"I am terribly sorry for my careless driver, please allow me to assist you in gathering your possessions."It was a smooth male voice, and a hand wrapped in red velvet handed me a turnip. When I looked up to see the most handsome man I had ever seen. He was taller than me, with tawny hair and the brightest blue eyes. He wore a crimson velvet jacket over a white silk shirt, and black pants. I stared at him, until my mind returned and I realized who he was.

"Your majesty." I gasped as I began to stare once again.

"Please do not damage your lovely eyes on me, fair lady." He said smiling, and oh what a wonderful smile he had. When he smiled I felt a warmth rise up inside me, and it seemed I would float up to the clouds. Then I realized once again I was staring and immediately swept into the best curtsy I could, eyes down cast. That is when I saw the horrible state my dress was in. I had left home in a beautiful forest green dress, my favourite. It had the most wonderful embroidery of ivy leaves on the bodice, and skirt, and the sleeves flared as they went down my arms. Now it was just a heap of dust, green material and mud. The prince noticed my anguished face a look of concern had spread across his face.

"Are you hurt?" he asked worriedly

"Oh. no. I'm not hurt at all majesty, it's only my dress that seems to have gotten the worst out of this." I responded meekly, and regretted sounding to much like a hopelessly vain maiden  
"Well we wouldn't want your dress to be hurt now would we? Do you think we should rush it to a healer?" he laughed, his laugh being somewhat mischievous and even more pleasant than his smile. And before I could respond I was swept into his carriage and we were off to the castle. 

When we arrived at the palace I almost fainted in awe. I had never seen the castle this close before, and it splendour was like that of a fairytale. We stepped out of the carriage and headed up the stairs, and stopped in front of two huge oak doors rimmed in gold. I was so overwhelmed by the appearance of the castle that I had completely forgotten what time it was, and as I looked up at the darkening sky and began to turn away from the castle.  
"What's wrong?" said the prince, as he took my hand and looked at me quizzically.

"Oh nothing is wrong, except. I really must go home, my mother and sisters are waiting for dinner. And I am already terribly late."

"I am sure your family can wait until you are clean." He smiled once more.

"Oh no, I was supposed to be back hours ago. And I don't think they will mind my clothes, since I can always change into new ones."

"But wouldn't you rather have a royal dinner in the palace?" His smile had dulled, and his voice now carried a trace of irritation.

"I am really very sorry. I would love to eat dinner in the palace..." His smiled brightened. "But...I really must return home. My family is probably worried about me." His smile had once again lost its sincerity.

"Then allow me to escort you home in my carriage, we simply cannot have lovely young maidens such as yourself wandering the streets alone at night." He said half-heartedly. I curtsied.

"Thank you your majesty"

"Please, call me Philip, I do get tired of hearing 'your majesty' or 'your highness' all the time." He said playfully, flashing that marvellous smile of his. I could feel my cheeks grow red, and looked at my feet.

We travelled in silence and when I arrived home later that night both my sisters were outside waiting, and I could tell even from far away, that Ella was jumping up and down after seeing the royal carriage.

After prince Philip had left she came up to me asking all sorts of idiotic questions, like how rich he was, and how handsome he was, and so on. I was too tired to answer and handed her the basket of groceries and headed to my room for some well-needed sleep. But even in my sleep I could not stop thinking about him, but I knew that there were no fairytale endings in store for me.


End file.
